Page 19 of And Then There Was Us
Kat laughed. “Bree, you’re a twenty-eight-year-old mother. You’ve handled worse situations than this. Enjoy the morning. Act like yourself. Pretend you’re in a hotel and you’re going out to the lobby. Natural, easy.”
Natural. Easy.Brianna rolled her eyes. “I’m in a terrible situation. I shouldn’t have gone out with him. The more time we spent together, the more I liked him.”
“That’s a good thing. Your mom always tells you that you need a life. I tell you that, too. You’re getting no sympathy from me, honey.”
“Thanks, Kat. That really helps, you brat.” She sighed and flattened the wrinkles from her sweater. “Okay. I can do this.” She sat on the edge of the Jacuzzi bathtub, contemplating telling Kat exactly who Hugh really was, but she worried that it would lead to one of two things—a lengthy discussion, which she definitely didn’t have time for, or possibly, Kat might see him differently, as he’d thought Brianna would. She tucked away the thought until she could tell her in person and weigh her response. “Tell me I can do this.”
“Bree, you’ve got this, honey. No sweat.”
“Thank you. If I show up at your house in need of tissues and chocolate, you’ll know why. And by the way, don’t ever convince me to go out with a guy again. Geez, Kat. I fell asleep. I really do suck. I love ya. Thanks for not calling me a slut.”
“Bree?”
“Yeah?”
“I am so looking forward to the time I can call you a slut. Please go have sex with that gorgeous creature!”
“Goodbye, Kat.”
She snagged her purse from the nightstand, and went in search of the kindest man she’d met in a very long time.
The bedroom she’d slept in was bigger than her living room and kitchen combined. She followed the hardwood floor down a long hallway and into an enormous great room with a wall of French doors, a stone fireplace that crawled to the ceiling, two chocolate-colored couches that she was sure were like heaven to sit on, and a shiny glass coffee table. She’d never seen anything like Hugh’s house, except in magazines and on shows likeLifestyles of the Rich and Famous.She quickly took her boots off again, worried about scuffing the floor.
“Good morning, Bree.”
Brianna spun around and nearly lost her footing. Hugh wore a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt that looked like it had been painted on. Every curve of his magnificent muscles were evident beneath the thin material, from his rippled six-pack to his massive biceps that threatened to burst through his sleeves. In the daylight, his face took on a softer, sexier look—which she wouldn’t have believed was possible.
“Morning,” she said.
He approached her, and she held her breath.Why am I so nervous?“I’m so sorry that I fell asleep last night.” She covered her face with her hands.
Hugh lowered her hands as he’d done the evening before. “You’re so cute when you’re embarrassed.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “We all sleep. It’s not like you got drunk and passed out.”
That would have been more reasonable. Who falls asleep when they’re alone with a man like you?
“Come on. I made breakfast.” He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her past the couches to a sparkling white kitchen with earthtone marble countertops and a breakfast room that was surrounded by windows on three sides. The view of the gardens didn’t compare to the warmth that emanated from his hand on her back, causing a pull in her lower regions that until last night she’d done a great job of shutting out.
“Do you like Belgian waffles?” Hugh pulled out a tall chair by the curved edge of the gourmet island.
“I love them.” Brianna was sure she was in some kind of time warp. A dream she couldn’t wake up from. This type of man did not just waltz into the life of a woman like her. Brianna noticed photographs on the refrigerator. More candid shots. “Is this your family?” she asked.
“Yeah, my expanding family.” He pointed to each one as he explained who they were. “This is Treat and his wife, Max. They just got married. Treat’s my oldest brother. And this is Rex with his fiancée, Jade.”
Holy cow. Even their girlfriends are hot.“They’re a gorgeous couple.”
“Yeah, they are. They live in Colorado. So do Treat and Max, right near my father’s ranch. And this is my sister, Savannah, with her fiancé, Jack, and my other brother, Josh, with Riley. They all live in New York.” Hugh touched a photo of an incredibly tan and sexy couple. “This is Dane with his girlfriend, Lacy. They live on their boat in Florida but travel a lot. And see the man in the back? That’s my dad. This was taken on Dane’s boat right after Lacy moved in.”
She noticed how thoughtful Hugh’s voice became as he spoke of his family.
“So you grew up in Colorado?”Why do I find that sexy?
“Yup, on a ranch. My father breeds thoroughbreds. Rex and Treat help him on the ranch, but Treat also owns several resorts around the world. He settled back in Colorado when he met Max because she was from a town nearby.”
“Your whole family is so…attractive.”
Hugh set a bowl of fruit on the island, then two plates of waffles. “I guess. To me they’re just family. I don’t mean just, as in only. Family is everything to me. I mean I don’t notice the rest—the looks and stuff other people see.”
“I saw a picture of your family in your room,” she admitted.
